Boria Majumdar at the MCG
Ahead of the Australian second innings, you could see Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma involved in an intense conversation. Both were pointing towards field placements and it was evident that there were plans for Sam Konstas. Bumrah had not forgotten the first innings and he was ready. No over the top behaviour. Just ready to bowl with venom and pace and execute a real master-class.
From the very first over, it was clear that Bumrah meant business. No loosener and not a single freebie on offer. Konstas just couldn’t get bat on ball and the Australian host broadcaster looked a little out of place for advertising “Come and Watch Konstas”.
In his 20-ball innings, Konstas could have been out 10 times. He clearly has a weakness against the moving ball as many others do. And, yes, he is no Donald Bradman as he was being made out to be. He is a kid cutting his teeth in international cricket who was lucky in the first innings and managed to get away. He surely has talent but to project him as the next big thing is way premature.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
Bumrah’s set-up was also perfect. He was repeatedly getting the ball to move away and Konstas, despite being beaten, was hanging on. That’s when the peach came. He bowled in from a tad wide and the ball came in sharply after pitching, found the gap between bat and pad and hit the top of middle stump. A bowler’s dream delivery that had brought Konstas back to reality. It was a bowling master-class and any batter could have been out to it. The truth is it was just the world’s best fast bowler bowling like the world’s best fast bowler.
And once the ball had done its job, Bumrah celebrated in a manner that we have hardly seen him do. He waved to the crowd and was all fired up. He had won the battle and had redeemed himself. The new kid had been taught a lesson and his class had stood out yet again.
Whatever the result of the game or even the series, the one debate that has been settled once and for all is who is the best bowler in the world at the moment- and it’s Jasprit Bumrah by a country mile. Fast, hostile, ruthless- it is too early in his career for Sam Konstas to have an answer.
Also Read: A ton for the ages from fearless competitor Nitish Kumar Reddy